Timber-joint for guard-rails or the like.



No. 763,933. PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

w. "P. SPILLMAN, s3. TIMBER JOINT FOR GUARD RAILS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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m: NORRIS Pincus no mmaurua, msmnnrou n c UNITED STATES Patented June28, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

TlMBERg-dOlNT FOR GUARD-RAILS OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,933, dated June 28,1904.

Application filed April 11, 1903.

To all whom it mlzty concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FLORENCE 'SPILLuAN, Sr., a citizen of theUnited States,

residing at Paducah, in the county of Me- Cracken and State of Kentucky,have invented new and useful Improvements in Timber- Joints forGuard-Rails or the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in joints for uniting the ends oftimbers; and the object is to provide a simple and effective devicewhich will be especially useful in securing the ends of timbers formingthe guardrails of railroad-bridges.

I/Vith the above object in view the invention consists in the novelfeatures of construction hereinafter fully described, particularlypointed out in the claim, and clearlyillustrated by the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of arailroad-bridge, showing my improved joint applied to the meeting endsof two of the timbers of the guard-rail; Fig. 2, a sectional view of thejoint and meeting ends of the guard-rail timbers, and Fig. 3 a sectionalview through the joint taken at right angles to Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2designate two timbers placed end to end and here illustrated as forminga part of the guard-rail of a railroad-bridge. These timbers at theirends are cut away upon the under sides to receive one of thecross-timbers 3 of the bridge. My improvement in the joint provides foruniting these timbers at their meeting ends and securing them to thecross-timber 3 and consists of a plate 4, having a central perforation 5formed vertically therein to receive a securing-bolt 6, which passesthrough a vertical perforation formed half in the end of each timber tobe united and througha ver- Serial No.152,224. (No model.)

tical perforation formed in the cross-timber, the bolt receiving a nut 7on its lower end.

The plate 4 is formed on its side edges with flanges 8 to engage theedges of the timbers to prevent independent lateral movement thereofwhen said plate is secured by the bolt. The plate is also provided withflanges 9 at its end edges which are forced into the'two timbers andprevent independent longitudinal movement of the latter. The plate isformed square with its pairs of flanges the same distance apart, andsaid flanges are similar, so that either pair may be used to preventlongitudinal or lateral movement of the timbers relatively to eachother, and said flanges are also continuous, sothat they support eachother and tend to prevent bending or fracture. Thus the plate may bereadily placed in position and secured by the bolt.

A joint constructed as contemplated by my invention is cheap tomanufacture, effective in operation, may be easily and quickly applied,and by its use the life of the timbers is lengthened.

I do not limit the invention to use upon guard-rails ofrailroad-bridges, as it may be used in many other connections where itis desired to provide areliable joint for the meeting ends of timbers.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

'A joint-plate for timbers, comprising a plate having a bolt-holetherethrough and similar continuous flanges extending around all of itsedges.

In testimony whereof I afflx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM FLORENCE SPILLMAN, SR.

Witnesses: Dow WILCOX, J. W. MoKNIeH'r.

